Book Review: LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – The Awesome Guide

While LEGO Batman has been around since 2006 it wasn’t until 2012 that the rest of the DC Comics universe started to show up in LEGO form with the DC Comics Super Heroes theme. This Awesome Guide book takes a look at that theme and the characters and sets that make it.

[Be sure to check out the details of the exclusive Wonder Woman minifigure at the end of the article, including a 360° look]

DC Comics 101

Comic book universes are messy, especially the DC universe. There have been various events that have rebooted the universe and multiple Earths with slightly different versions of characters.

With all of that mess it seems like setting that history out in a timeline that made sense to kids would be impossible, but this book handles it quite well with a timeline that highlights the key points without getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty details. The timeline presented features all the things you’d expect it to – Batman, Superman and the forming of the Justice League for example.

There is also a fun little flow-chart that will help you work out your DC alter ego, even if that happens to be a villain.

In general the details are reasonably light – this book is a guide and not a character encyclopaedia – but still manage to contain a decent amount of information. There are some fun little features like comparing the net worth of Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen. The first half of the book is dedicated to the heroes and covers secret identities, sidekicks, weapons and vehicles among other topics.

There are also some interesting comparative features like a chart of the various heroes and their powers. It’s interesting to see how they stack up against each other.

I was quite surprised that the level of detail for some characters. For example some young fans may not have been aware of the various different Robins and the book gives a good breakdown of who each is as part of the side-kick section.

The second half of the book is all about the villains, with evil lairs, henchmen and villainous mechs all covered.

The book is a surprisingly good introduction to the world of DC Comics with numerous info-blasts and stats spread throughout.

DC and LEGO

2012 may not seem like that long ago, but since the theme was launched there have been over 50 sets released (including polybags). That means that there is a considerable amount of information to include.

The details of various sets are spread throughout the book, usually related to the a specific character or theme. For example the page about Superhero transportation features some of the Batmobile sets that have been released, including the Tumbler. The space and underwater sections show sets related to those topics.

The photography of the minifigures and sets is impeccable, as you’d expect from a DK book. It’s great to be able to check out some of the older sets that are a bit too hard to get hold of these days.

This book really celebrates the strong partnership between DC and LEGO. While Batman is undoubtedly the star of the LEGO DC world, the other characters are well represented too.

The end of the book features a list of sets and where to find them in the preceding pages. It’s a useful quick reference.

Wonderful Wonder Woman

The exclusive minifigure included in this set is a fantastic rendition of Wonder Woman. She is presented here wearing an exclusive long outfit. It’s a departure from the more traditional outfit but I absolutely love this design.

Diana’s torso features detailed armor printing on a red torso with dark blue and gold accents. There are also hints of white stars, a nod to her most iconic outfit. The printing also continues on the back of her torso and the front of her legs.

The hair piece is long and flowing in black with the gold tiara built in.

There are two face prints included on the head – a happy smiling face and angry face for when she is taking on villains. Also included is Wonder Woman’s iconic golden lasso of truth.

Conclusion

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – The Awesome guide is a fun look at the DC universe for younger fans. It features some great LEGO sets and awesome minifigures.

The book itself probably isn’t going to be the most interesting read for AFOLs but I absolutely recommend this for any young LEGO fan.

Regardless of your age there is no denying that the Wonder Woman minifigure is fantastic.

The best price I have found for this book is $20 from Big W, unfortunately the minifigures are often stolen from books like this so you may be better off ordering online. Booktopia and Book Depository are both options too, but a little more expensive.

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